Application of parts to material

ABSTRACT

In an off-line, free standing, parts-orienting and feeding device, selected parts are fed by a hopper to and oriented in a centrifugal or vibratory parts feeder unit, and then discharged to a programmed transferring arrangement. The latter includes a slide shuttle unit for alternately receiving discharged parts in a plurality or passages and aligning the part receiving passages with one or more pressurized air passages to blow the parts through selected transfer tubes to pick and placement devices which serve to place the parts continually one at a time on packaging materials being processed on one or more packaging machines. Limit devices on each transfer tube signal the slide shuttle unit to realign the parts receiving passages with the pressurized air passages to provide parts as required by each machine.

This application is a 371 of PCT/GB98/03224, filed Oct. 26, 1998 whichclaims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/063/096,filed Oct. 24, 1997

This invention relates of application of parts to material and, moreparticularly, to a system wherein selected parts are hopper-fed to andoriented in an off-line parts feeder unit, and then fed from the unit toa mechanism for transfer to a machine for placement of the parts onmaterial being processed on the machine.

In a case where small parts being handled are pour spout fitments forattaching to formed cartons, it is known to remove the fitmentsone-at-a-time from the exit end of a track and place each fitmentthrough an opening in a top closure panel of a standing, open-toppedcarton, to be welded into place by an external ultrasonic welding horn.Such placement and welding units are shown and described inGB-A-2,238,287; U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,811; U.S. Pat. No. 4,386,923; U.S.Pat. No. 5,484,374; U.S. Pat. 5,267,934 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,803.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided incombination,

a machine including parts-applying means for applying parts to packagingmaterial on said machine,

a parts-supplying device including parts-supplying means, and

transferring means extending from said device to said machine andserving to transfer said parts from said device to said machine,

characterized in that said device is free-standing relative to saidmachine.

Owing to this aspect of the invention, it is possible to obtain greaterflexibility in the relative positions of the machine and theparts-supplying device and to make the device more readily accessibleand of greater capacity than if it were to be mounted at the top of themachine.

If desired, the device may be on the same level, i.e. the same floor, asthe machine or may be at a higher or lower level than the machine, forexample on a mezzanine floor above the machine.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is providedin combination,

at least one machine including parts-applying means for applying partsto material on said machine(s),

a parts-supplying device including parts-supplying means, and

transferring means extending from said device to said machine(s) andserving to transfer said parts from said device to said machine(s),

characterized in that the transferring means comprises a plurality oftransfer tracks and said device further includes a discharge track fordischarging said parts and a distributor arranged to receive said partsfrom said discharge track and to distribute them among said transfertracks.

Owing to this aspect of the invention, it is possible for a singleparts-supplying device to serve a plurality of parts applicators,whether on one-and-the-same machine, or on respective machines, or both.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is providedin combination,

a machine including parts-applying means for applying parts to packagingmaterial on said machine,

a parts-supplying device including parts-supplying means, and

transferring means extending from said device to said machine andserving to transfer said parts from said device to said machine,

characterized in that said device has a clean-out track to serve incleaning-out said parts from said device.

Owing to this aspect of the invention, it is possible to clean-out in anhygienic and automatic manner any parts remaining in the parts-supplyingmeans when an emptying of the latter is desired.

In a preferred embodiment, a free-standing fitment sorting devicesupplies pour spout fitments to a form, fill and seal packaging machinefrom a remote, substantially ground level location. Plastics tubes,through which the pour spout fitments may be blown by compressed air,extend from the off-line sorting device to the packaging machine.

The device includes a parts handling bowl which, via centrifugal forcecreated by rotary motion, urges the pour spout fitments toward andthrough suitable orienting devices to orient the fitments and feed themto a track for transfer to a slide shuttle assembly co-operable withprogrammable cylinder or servo-driven means for further transfer via themultiple plastics tubes to placement devices which assemble the fitmentsin any suitable manner onto one or more sets of dual in-line cartonsbeing indexed along conveyors of the packaging machine.

In order that the invention may be clearly and completely disclosed,reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:FIG.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a form, fill and seal packaging machineand an associated off-line orienting and feeding device;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the off-line orienting and feeding device;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the device;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a shuttle assembly of the device;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the shuttle assembly;

FIG. 6 is an end elevation of the shuttle assembly;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a part which may be handled by thedevice;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a liquid packaging carton with that partin place thereon; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a plurality of form, fill and sealpackaging machines and an associated off-line orienting and feedingdevice.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG. 1 illustrates aform, fill and seal packaging machine 10 which processes cartons,represented at 12 and shown more clearly in FIG. 8. The cartons 12 areadvanced through the machine in one row, or (as shown) a plurality ofparallel rows, by one or more horizontal conveyors 13. A plurality ofplastics tubes 14 extend to the machine 10 from an off-line orientingand feeding device 16. The machine 10 and the device 16 stand upon afloor 17 and are horizontally spaced apart. The device 16 serves toprocess parts in the form of identical pour spout fitments 18, of whichone is shown in FIG. 7.

The device 16 (FIGS. 1 to 3) includes a housing 20, enclosing a partsfeeder unit 22 mounted on a stand 24 (FIG. 2). A hopper 26 is mounted onthe stand 24 so as to be located above the parts feeder unit 22, and isadapted to supply the fitments 18 via a connector member 28 to a bowl 30of the parts feeder unit 22. Steps 32 (or alternate steps 32′) at a sideof the housing 20, permit an operator to fill the hopper 26 with parts,as needed, completely remote from the operating packaging machine 10.Although steps 32 or 32′ are shown, it is much preferred that theoperator should be able to fill the hopper 26 from ground level. Covers,represented as 33 (FIG. 2), may be pivotally mounted over the hopper 26and the bowl 30.

A track 34 (FIG. 2) angles downwardly from the discharge end of the bowl30. The bowl 30 is powered by any suitable means, causing the fitments18 to project outwardly to encounter tracks, guide devices, rails,twists, cut-outs, air jets, or other elements (not shown) as required tocause each fitment 18 to be oriented, for example, by hanging by itsflange 36 on rails, or, if incorrectly positioned, to be dropped orblown back into the bowl to be caused to return in another pass. Thebowl 30 is preferably a bowl of a centrifugal parts feeder well knownper se, which, via centrifugal force created by rotary motion, urges theparts 18 towards and through orienting devices to orient the parts.Alternately, the bowl 30 may be a bowl of a vibratory parts feeder wellknown per se, which causes the parts to travel, in response tovibration, around an upwardly spiralling track secured to the insidesurface of the bowl wall, to become oriented while travelling pastelements mounted along the track.

An air cylinder 38 (FIG. 2) is mounted at an intermediate location alongthe track 34, for a purpose to be described. A slide shuttle assembly 40(FIG. 2) is positioned adjacent the exit end of the track 34. As shownin FIGS. 4 to 6, the slide-shuttle assembly 40 includes a base 42fixedly mounted in a portion 44 (FIG. 2) of the housing 20. A plurality(four are shown) of track mounting blocks 46 are mounted in this case ona piston portion 48 of a suitable programmable air cylinder 50 (FIG. 5).Each mounting block 46 has an end portion of one of the interconnectingplastic tubes 14 secured in a passage 52 formed through the block. Themounting blocks 46 are interconnected to move as a unit with the pistonportion 48.

A fixed mounting block 54 (FIG. 5) is secured to the base 42, andincludes a passage 56 formed therethrough for receiving and confiningthe end portion of the fixed track 34. A pair of air manifold blocks 58are secured to the base 42 on opposite sides of the fixed mounting block54 and abut against the oppositely disposed side walls of the block 54.An air passage 60 is formed through the centre of each block 58,parallel to the track mounting passage 56 in the block 54. A source 62of compressed air is connected by a line 64 to each air passage 60.Suitable valves are included in an air valve pack 66 (FIG. 3) mounted inthe housing 20.

As shown in FIG. 3, a terminal box 68 including required relays and acontroller, represented at 70, may be mounted in the housing 20,operatively connected to the programmable air cylinder 50.

A suitable fitment-detector, for example a limit switch or aphotoelectric arrangement represented at 72 in FIG. 1, is operativelyconnected to each tube 14 at a predetermined point along the heightthereof within the form, fill and seal packaging machine 10. Thephotoelectric unit 72 causes an escapement or pick-and-placement unit,represented at 74 and as shown and described in, for example,EP-A-0819611, to be supplied with fitments 18, as required.

As illustrated in dot-dash lines in FIGS. 1 and 5, there may be a shorttube 14′ to discharge at a selected location between the device 16 andthe machine 10 to serve as a clean-out chute to facilitate emptying thehopper 26 and the bowl 30 for a colour and/or product change. The tube14′ would be connected to a further mounting block 46′ fixed to theblocks 46 and thus able to be brought into and out of alignment with theblock 54 and one of the air passages 60.

In operation, the fitments 18 are supplied from the hopper 26 (FIG. 2)to the bowl 30, where the fitments are oriented and discharged into theinlet of the track 34. As such, fitments 18 are aligned at all times inthe track 34 down to the air cylinder 38.

Referring particularly to FIG. 5, upon the release of fitments 18 by theair cylinder 38, the respective fitments exit from the end of the track34, through the adjacent passage 52 of an aligned mounting block 46 intoits plastic tube 14. As called for by the respective photoelectric units72 (FIG. 1) at the other end of the tubes 14, the mounting blocks 46 andtheir associated tube end portions are caused by the signal to and fromthe controller 70 (FIG. 3) to move to the left in FIG. 5, so that theparticular mounting block in question becomes aligned with the left-handair passage 60. In this position, a blast of air through the passage 60from the source 62 of compressed air sends the fitments 18 now in theadjacent tube 14, firstly downwardly to exit from the housing 20 (FIG.1), then upwardly, across the horizontal gap between the device 16 andthe machine 10 at a level above the device and the machine and above anypedestrian or vehicular traffic along the gap, and down the tube pastthe photoelectric unit 72. Each photo-electric unit 72 includes a delaywhereby parts falling past the unit do not actuate it. However, once thefitments 18 are filled to the point of stopping adjacent the unit 72, asignal therefrom stops the blowing of fitments through its particulartube 14. Then, when the line-up of fitments, which may extend well abovethe unit 72, drops below the unit 72 owing to the consumption thereof bythe unit 74, the unit 72 signals for another batch of fitments to bereleased by the air cylinder 38 into the associated mounting block 46and tube 14 moved by the programmable air cylinder 50 into alignmentwith one of the air passages 60. In lieu of a single delay-typephotoelectric unit 72, a pair of upper and lower photoelectric units orlimit switches could be used.

As may be visualized from FIG. 5, the two left-hand mounting blocks 46are moved by the programmable air cylinder 50 to the left-hand block 58,and the two right-hand mounting blocks 46 are moved by the air cylinder50 to right-hand block 58. This has the advantage that the mountingblocks travel less distance than if there were to be only one airpassage 60, and thus permits a relative increase in the output rate ofthe device 16.

As any of the photoelectric units 72 calls for fitments 18, the signalto the controller 70 results in signals sent to the programmable aircylinder 50 to move the mounting blocks 46 to align the correct tube 14with the fixed block 54, and to the air cylinder 38 on the fixed track34 to release fitments 18 thereto, and then to move to the left-hand orright-hand block 58 to be blown through the tube 14 to stack up adjacentand above the specific photoelectric unit.

If desired, and as shown in FIG. 9, a single, free-standing device 16may supply a plurality of machines 10 which may be horizontally spacednot only from the device 16 but also from each other.

It should be apparent that the off-line orienting and feeding device ispractical as a free-standing sorting unit that supplies parts to one ormore processing machines, with an operator being free, for example, toload the hopper or remove faulty parts from the device, at substantiallyground level, without having to climb around an operating processingmachine.

It should be further apparent that the off-line orienting and feedingdevice may handle substantially any kind of small parts, and feed themto any suitable placement device on a processing machine performingvarious kinds of assembly.

It should also be apparent that the enclosed tubes and compressed airblowing arrangement serve as an efficient means of transferring thesmall parts across convenient distances to the processing machine,without jamming or disruption therealong.

It should also be evident that any number of mounting blocks andassociated tubes, instead of the four shown, may be used, depending uponthe application involved. In any case, one of the tubes may be short toserve as a clean-out chute to facilitate emptying the hopper for acolour and/or product change. In addition, the plastics tubes may bedirected to spaced-apart processing machines, as in FIG. 9 for example,rather than to the two-line machine shown in FIG. 1. Moreover, to reducethe number of long tubes used, it is possible to employ diverters in thelong tubes to switch the flow of parts into short tubes leading to theor each intermediate machine 10.

It would also be possible to utilize a vacuum system in lieu of thecompressed air system described.

Additionally, a high efficiency particulate air (hepa) system could beinstalled in order to supply clean air to the device 16, therebyprotecting the pour spout fitments from any contamination present in theproduction environment.

What is claimed is:
 1. In combination, a machine including first andsecond parts-applying devices for applying respective series of parts topackaging material on said machine, a pressure-differential-producingmeans, a parts-supplying device including parts-supplying means andfree-standing relative to said machine, and transferring means extendingfrom said parts-supplying device to the first and second parts-applyingdevices of said machine and serving to transfer said parts from saidparts-supplying device to the first and second parts-applying devices ofsaid machine, said transferring means comprising first and secondpneumatic transferring means by way of which the respective first andsecond parts-applying devices are supplied with said respective seriesof parts, and said first and second pneumatic transferring meanscomprising respective first and second transfer tracks communicable withsaid pressure-differential-producing means to produce respective gaspressure differentials in said first and second transfer tracks todisplace said respective series of parts along said respective first andsecond transfer tracks.
 2. A combination according to claim 1, whereinthe machine comprises a plurality of conveying means arranged to advancerespective packaging materials and wherein the first and secondparts-applying means comprise respective parts applicators associatedwith the respective conveying means of the machine.
 3. A combinationaccording to claim 1, wherein said parts-supplying device furtherincludes a discharge track for discharging oriented parts and adistributor arranged to receive oriented parts from said discharge trackand to distribute them among said transfer tracks.
 4. A combinationaccording to claim 3, wherein said distributor comprises a slideshuttle.
 5. A combination according to claim 1, wherein said partssupplying device further comprises a clean-out track to serve incleaning out said parts from said device.
 6. In combination first andsecond machines including respective first and second parts-applyingdevices for applying respective series of parts to packaging materialson the respective first and second machines, apressure-differential-producing means, a parts-supplying deviceincluding parts-supplying means and free-standing relative to said firstand second machines, and transferring means extending from saidparts-supplying device to the first and second parts-applying devices ofthe respective first and second machines and serving to transfer saidparts from said parts-supplying device to the first and secondparts-applying devices of the respective first and second machines, saidtransferring means comprising first and second pneumatic transferringmeans by way of which the respective first and second parts-applyingdevices are supplied with said respective series of parts, and saidfirst and second pneumatic transferring means comprising respectivefirst and second transfer tracks communicable with saidpressure-differential-producing means to produce respective gas pressuredifferentials in said first and second transfer tracks to displace saidrespective series of parts along said respective first and secondtransfer tracks.
 7. A combination according to claim 6, wherein saidfirst and second machines comprise respective first and second conveyingmeans arranged to advance the respective packaging materials and whereinthe first and second parts-applying devices comprise respective firstand second parts applicators associated with the respective first andsecond conveying means.
 8. A combination according to claim 6, whereinthe said parts-supplying device further includes a discharge track fordischarging oriented parts and a distributor arranged to receiveoriented parts from said discharge track and th distribute them amongsaid transfer tracks.
 9. A combination according to claim 8, whereinsaid distributor comprises a slide shuttle.
 10. A combination accordingto claim 6, wherein said parts-supplying device further comprises aclean-out track to serve in cleaning-out said parts from said device.11. In combination, a machine including parts-applying means forapplying parts to packaging material on said machine, apressure-differential-producing means, a parts-supplying deviceincluding parts-supplying means and free-standing relative to saidmachine, and transferring means extending from said device to saidmachine and serving to transfer said parts from said device to saidmachine, said transferring means comprising pneumatic transferringmeans, said pneumatic transferring means comprising a transfer trackcommunicable with said pressure-differential-producing means to producea gas pressure differential in said track to displace said parts alongsaid track, said transferring means comprising a plurality of transfertracks; and said device further including a discharge track fordischarging oriented parts and a distributor comprised of fixed passagemeans and of a slide shuttle and arranged to receive oriented parts fromsaid discharge track and to distribute them among said transfer tracks,said pressure-differential-producing means comprising a source ofcompressed gas for supplying said compressed gas to said passage meanswhich at times directs said gas into selected ones of said transfertracks, and said distributor further comprising retention meansattaching said transfer tracks to said slide shuttle, and programmeddrive means for laterally moving said slide shuttle and thereby bringingentry ends of said transfer tracks selectively into and out of alignmentwith said passage means to cause parts to be blown through said transfertracks by said compressed gas to the parts-applying means.
 12. Acombination according to claim 11, wherein said fixed passage meanscomprises a plurality of fixed passages and wherein a plurality of saidtransfer tracks and said retention means are selectively alternativelymoved by said programmed drive means into alignment with each of saidfixed passages.
 13. A combination according to claim 11 and furthercomprising parts detecting means at the respective transfer tracks atthe or each machine and arranged to signal said programmed drive meanswhen any of respective portions of the transfer tracks at the machineare full of parts.